Sister pleads for life of Briton facing execution

Seized: his family say Joshua French was on a motorbike trip. He has been convicted of murder

The family of a former British soldier facing a firing squad in the Democratic Republic of Congo today pleaded for his release.

Hannah French begged for her brother Joshua, who had been in the Parachute Regiment, to be spared the death sentence after he was convicted of murder and spying.

Miss French, 25, from Margate, said he had been "set up" by the Congolese government who were demanding money for his release.

Mr French, 27, is said to have travelled to the country - rated one of the most dangerous on earth - on a motorbike trip with an ex-soldier colleague while on a break from private security duties in the Gulf of Aden.

Miss French insisted he was innocent of the murder of a taxi driver who she said was killed by gunmen while driving her brother and his friend in Kisangani after their motorcycle broke down.

She said her brother and his friend were charged with spying because they had military ID on them when arrested.

Describing him as an "Indiana Jones-style adventurer", she said: "The government in Congo is just trying to make money out of him. The two witnesses in his trial were paid to testify against him.

"He was just on a motorcycle trip, he wasn't being a soldier there. He has to be released."

She accused the authorities of trying to extract £250million in compensation, adding: "He has been through a sickening ordeal, they are hurting him and have put a gun to his head."

Human rights charity Reprieve has called for the British Government to intervene, describing the trial and conviction of two men at a military tribunal in September as a "farce".